Stewardship Manager, Santa Clara River & Coast - The Nature Conservancy

Ventura, California, USA

This position may be based out of a local home office or TNC's Ventura office, and is expected to be on-site at TNC properties in Ventura County 1 - 3 times per week. 

The Nature Conservancy (TNC) is a global conservation organization dedicated to conserving the lands and waters on which all life depends. Grounded in science, we develop innovative solutions to the world’s toughest environmental challenges so that people and nature can thrive. Our work is guided by our values, which include a commitment to diversity; respect for people, communities, and cultures; and a collaborative, nonpartisan approach. Thanks to more than 1 million members, over 400 scientists, and the dedicated efforts of our staff and partners, we impact conservation around the world. 

The California Chapter is TNC’s largest state program and one of the largest, most dynamic conservation organizations in the country. With approximately 275 employees, from financial analysts and fundraisers to ecologists and economists, we are currently invested in 14 strategies to address the biggest challenges facing California and the world, including numerous community-based projects designed to increase the pace, scale, and effectiveness of conservation. Over the past six decades, we have protected 1.4 million acres, 5,000 miles of streams, and 3.8 million acres of ocean habitat in California and off the coast. 

The California Chapter believes that we are most effective when we are embedded in our state’s communities, politics, media, and environmental issues. For this reason, and to reduce our carbon footprint when meeting in person, all staff live in California, including those in a home office.

Finally, we are passionate about holding the middle ground in American politics and civic life and doing our part to make conservation a shared national value. The hallmark of The Nature Conservancy is its “big tent” approach, engaging people across the political and ideological spectrum to find solutions that last. We are not activists. We do not litigate. We do not take public stands on matters unrelated to our purpose. We welcome everyone. Everyone in our organization should therefore be adept at working with people who may not share their personal values or opinions. We ask all employees to embrace the critical strategic position of our brand and organization as centrist and non-partisan. It is the foundation of our success.

The Santa Clara River & Coast Stewardship Manager manages the stewardship of over 4,500 acres (including approximately 21 river miles) on the Santa Clara River and over 300 acres at Ormond Beach. These areas provide numerous opportunities to restore habitat for biodiversity recovery and critical ecosystem services and serve as a platform to connect people with nature by offering public access opportunities for disadvantaged and frontline communities. 

The Stewardship Manager supervises and collaborates with the Stewardship Coordinator to establish the Conservancy as a major conservation partner within the area of responsibility; defines conservation priorities and long-term conservation strategies; builds strategic, scientific, and technical capacity in the field, and develops partnerships with public and private organizations to identify and resolve technical issues and widely communicate solutions and best practices. They are part of the Stewardship team and are responsible for management of TNC-held properties to achieve conservation objectives via ecological, agricultural and infrastructure management. 

The Stewardship Manager works with a team to develop innovative scientific methods, analyses, tools, and frameworks to address the natural system needs, engage community support for conservation efforts, and negotiate complex and innovative solutions with government agencies and landowners to conserve and protect natural communities. They serve as the principle contact to government agencies, other conservation organizations, foundations, academics, and the agricultural community.  The Stewardship Manager works with legal counsel on handling encroachments, violations, and compliance as needed. They manage multi-sourced budgets with extensive reporting obligations. 

The Stewardship Manager supports new property acquisitions by assessing stewardship needs on properties and by planning, contracting, and conducting land management activities post-acquisition. They periodically provide informational field tours explaining project goals and achievements to donors, legislators, and public funders. The Stewardship Manager may work in variable weather conditions, at remote locations, on difficult and hazardous terrain, and under physically demanding circumstances.

Want to help conserve the planet? Through the efforts of The Nature Conservancy, 630,000 acres in California have been preserved for people and nature.  From the mountains to the sea, the California Chapter is dedicated to conserving the natural resources that make our state unique. 

We are looking for a highly motivated, capable individual interested in joining the world’s leading conservation organization. The ideal candidate is a positive team player capable of supporting several ongoing priorities with excellent collaboration and communication. Are you proactive, problem-solving, solutions-oriented, and an independent decision-maker? Are you excited by the opportunity to foster relationships with local community members, tribal members, farmers, and conservationists? Then please apply and join us!

• BA/BS degree and 5 years of experience in conservation practice (or equivalent combination of education and experience).
• Experience managing complex or multiple projects, including staffing, workloads, and finances under deadlines.
• Supervisory experience, including motivating, leading, setting objectives and managing performance.
• Experience in partnership development with non-profit partners, community groups and/or government agencies. 
• Experience negotiating complex agreements.
• Experience communicating with the public and/or media both in writing and verbally.
• GIS experience, including use of ArcGIS Online for map creation, data collection and storage.
• Demonstrated experience with contract and grant management and associated reporting.

DESIRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Multi-lingual and multi-cultural or cross-cultural experience appreciated.
• Demonstrated experience influencing, developing, and implementing conservation policy and plans.
• Knowledge of methods and standards of biodiversity information systems and initiatives or related field.
• Communicating clearly via written, spoken, and graphical means in English.
• Demonstrated experience in budget management and fundraising. 
• Politically savvy.
• Capable of having difficult conversations with external parties.

Each person who works at TNC contributes to our goal of protecting nature for future generations. Another one of TNC’s primary goals is to cultivate an inclusive work environment so that employees around the globe feel that their unique contributions are valued. To quote a popular saying at TNC, “You’ll join for the mission, and you’ll stay for the people.” To learn more, head to YouTube to hear stories from staff or visit Glassdoor.  

We’re proud to support the health and wellbeing of the people we employ. We offer a competitive, comprehensive benefits package that includes healthcare coverage, flexible spending accounts, 401(k) plan with an 8% employer match, parental leave, accrued paid time off, life insurance, disability coverage, employee assistance program, and other benefits that support work-life balance. 

If you’re interested in working with us, please apply—we’d love to hear from you.

The starting pay for this position is within the range of $78,000 – $91,725 for annual base salary. This range only applies to candidates whose country of employment is the USA and state of employment is California. Where a successful candidate’s actual pay will fall within this range will be based on a variety of factors, including the candidate's location, qualifications, specific skills, and experience. Your geographic location will be confirmed during the recruitment.

To apply for job ID 55587, submit your materials (resume and cover letter) online by using the Apply Now button at https://careers.nature.org/by 8:59 PM PST on Sunday, Sept 22, 2024. Need help applying? Visit our recruitment page or contact applyhelp@tnc.org.

Do you have military experience? Visit our U.S. Military Skills Translator to match your military experience with our current job openings!

TNC is committed to offering accommodations for qualified individuals with disabilities and disabled veterans in our job application process. If you need assistance or an accommodation due to a disability, please send a note to applyhelp@tnc.org with Request for Accommodation in the subject line.

The Nature Conservancy is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

Our commitment to diversity includes the recognition that our conservation mission is best advanced by the leadership and contributions of people with diverse backgrounds, beliefs, and cultures. Recruiting and mentoring staff to create an inclusive organization that reflects our global character is a priority, and we encourage applicants from all cultures, races, colors, religions, sexes, national or regional origins, ages, disability status, sexual orientations, gender identities, military or veteran status or other status protected by law. 

The successful applicant must meet the requirements of The Nature Conservancy's background screening process.